Chinese design house Wutopia Lab has converted a multi-story house in Shanghai into a bookstore which provides “a space for learning and thinking” for city-dwelling public.
The project – Sinan Books: Shanghai Sanctum – was commissioned by Shanghai Century Publishing Group and Yongye Group in Building 25 of the Sinan Mansion.
The design team envisioned the store “as a person with a system of acquiring knowledge while discovering oneself and the surrounding”.
The entrance level of Building 25 is set on the second floor which features a cafe, an area for literature and the public and an “intimate Sinan living room”. On the floor above, there is an area focused on art, a peaceful Sinan music room and flexible spaces that can host exhibitions, book club events, and small concerts.
“It’s a perfect place to experience the charm of art,” explained the Wutopia Lab design team.
On the fourth floor, a writer’s study “symbolises the bookstore’s thoughts”.
“Small cultural saloons will be held here; it’s a place for conversations and debates.”
A basement was conceived as the bookstore’s ‘sub-consciousness’, hosting a collection of history and philosophy books. Here, a labyrinth made of bookshelves offers visitors their own space. On the west side of the labyrinth is a special selection from the London Review Books, a sister bookstore of Sinan books, while on the east side, a large study room features a central table displaying creative product design.
Spaces underneath the building’s two staircases are used to create two reading rooms for individuals and pairs. The underused south patio was redesigned into a flower porch, using planters to create a vivid backdrop for the bookstore.
The Wutopia Lab team says it believes a monochromatic colour scheme cannot sufficiently depict the diversity of the period.
“Colour has always been closely related to people’s feelings and emotions. Relating Sinan Books to a human body, its color should be a perceived colour, experienced in relation to the light of the day as well as one’s mental state at a given moment.”
The store’s entrance features a red arcade, indicating Sinan books’ attitude of openness. Different hues of green offset the exhibition spaces, while the gold of the reading room offers “a hidden surprise”.
To view the full pictures, check the gallery below (5 images) :
- Images copyright Wutopia Lab.